Launching ‘One Less Car’ trial to reduce personal car ownership
Written byWe’re on a mission to make it effortless for people to embrace a car-light lifestyle.
With the cost of car ownership at an all time high, private car ownership has a significant impact on our personal finances, as well as our health, the livability of our cities with congestion, and our environment with greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why we’re trying something new—introducing the One Less Car trial.
We’re recruiting up to 40 participants in Toronto and Vancouver to give up their personal car for 4 weeks and use alternate forms of transportation to get around—walking, public transportation, cycling, car rentals, carshare, and rideshare.
How will Uber’s One Less Car trial work?:
- We’re looking for people to join the challenge: We’re calling for 40 car owners in Toronto and Vancouver to ditch their car for 4 weeks from July 22 to August 25. If interested in joining the trial, apply here by July 7.
- We’ll help with $$$ from Uber: Based on an average monthly cost of vehicle ownership in Canada, we’ll provide selected participants with $1,300 to use alternative transportation options to get around instead of relying on their private car. These options will include public transit, car rentals, rideshare, and car-free offerings like Lime e-bikes and e-scooters, bookable in the Uber app.
- We’ll share the findings: We’ve partnered with the Behavioural Insights Team, a third-party firm specializing in behavioral insights, to measure the impacts. Participants will be asked to document their experience throughout the trial, taking note of what transportation alternatives they use, and the impact on their lives.
- You can see the insights from the Australia trial: In 2023, we asked 58 Australians to give up their car for 4 weeks, and we found that participants reported they were able to replace the majority of car trips with alternative transport methods, with walking being the biggest replacement for personal car use, increasing 75%, and both cycling and rideshare use increasing 4-5 times.
And with more than 26 million private vehicles on the road across the country, we’re out to show that it’s possible to make the switch to a car-light lifestyle, saving both money and emissions, while reducing congestion and creating more livable cities.
Apply to join our One Less Car trial to start embracing a car-light lifestyle.
Here’s what One Less Car participants from Australia had to say about the trial:
- “I’m swapping for cycling and walking, so I’m doing more exercise which is really great as I sit a lot for work…and then thinking about the environmental difference of not using a car, it feels good to do that as well.”
– Female, 52, Melbourne, 1 car
- “I usually have a highly predictable routine and travel movements, and there is a substitute for most of those. So I resolved that I’m going to sell my car sometime soon in about four to six weeks.”
– Ian, Sydney resident, owner of 2 cars
- “Taking fewer private car trips has required adaptability, resourcefulness and a shift in perspective. But despite the challenges the rewards and benefits have made the positive experience worthwhile. I definitely intend to continue exploring alternative methods of transportation, while acknowledging the occasions where a private car may be more practical.”
– Miranda, 35, Brisbane, owner of 1 car